Saturday, April 17, 2010

Hidden Places

All right, these places aren't hidden, they are right out there where you can see them, but they are tucked into places where you don't always notice them.

The first one is the sad one:

The stumbling block at Bautzner Str. 20. The first time I saw this I was on my way somewhere and just thought, "huh, why is there a golden block in the sidewalk?" Then I saw an article in the paper about these Stolpersteine planted throughout Dresden. So I went back for another look. This is a project by an artist and has been done in a number of cities throughout Germany. These small, shiny stones are engraved with the name or names of people who were deported and died in concentration camps during the Second World War. They are installed in the sidewalk in front of the address where these people lived. This little stone makes me sadder and sadder every time I walk over it. Each time the history of what went on where I live now as a foreigner in a cosmopolitan city comes more to life.

This is one of those neat tucked away surprises that I always forget about. It's the back side of the house on the corner of Böhmische Str. and Rothenburger Str. where Hebeda's is located. You can go through a passage here to the Nordbad pool or to the Neustädter Diechl to get some delicious German food. I don't know how long it has been painted like this, but I think it has been for a while. It's just one of those things that can brighten your day when you see it, because it's like a little secret that's just waiting for a pedestrian to come appreciate it.